PHILLIPS — A second Phillips man is accused of being involved in a recent wave of burglaries and thefts which resulted in over $20,000 worth of tools, dirt bikes, camping gear and a large safe, among other items, being stolen.
Franklin County sheriff’s deputies arrested Stephen L. Haines Jr., 51, on Wednesday on charges of burglary, theft by receiving stolen property and theft by unauthorized taking or transfer. A conviction on a burglary charge is punishable by maximum 10 years in prison and up to $20,000 in fines. Conviction on both theft charges each carries penalties of up to five years in prison and a maximum $5,000 fine.
Deputies executed a search warrant Wednesday at a Blake Hill Road home in Phillips.
As a result of the investigation, over $3,000 worth of power tools were recovered, Sheriff Scott Nichols Sr. wrote in a news statement.
He was taken to the Franklin County Detention Center in Farmington and is being held in lieu of $1,000 cash bail. He remained at the jail Thursday morning.
The warrant was carried out as part of the ongoing investigation into a Nov. 27 warrant in Phillips, Nichols wrote.
More than $20,000 worth of items were stolen over the past several months, police say. Deputies recovered 62 stolen items at three locations, including a Pleasant Street residence. The stolen items included Milwaukee tools, camping gear, a large safe, two dirt bikes, chainsaws, a large ladder, boat motor, coolers, a solar panel, fly fishing rods, a canoe paddle and miscellaneous equipment, according to Nichols.
Stephen S. Kennedy, 34, of Phillips was arrested Nov. 27 on charges of burglary, theft by unauthorized taking or transfer, theft by receiving stolen property, and unlawful possession of fentanyl powder. He was released from jail the same day on $1,000 cash bail.
Deputies started investigating reported burglaries and thefts in Phillips in mid-September. Several burglaries were reported at camps, residences and storage units.
The Franklin County Sheriff’s Office was assisted by the Maine Warden Service on Wednesday.
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